Meter.



' Witnesses 0. E, HOLMES. METER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1905.

' Inventor v Charles E. Holmes,

PATENTED JULY 28. 1908.

UNITED STATES arana oEEroE.

l CHARLES E. noL Es-oE LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GE ERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

METER.

To all whom it'may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAELEsE. HoLMEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Meters, of which the following isa specification;

This invention relates to electric meters and more particularly tointegrating electric meters of the motor'type.

The object of the invention is to effect cer tain improvements in thedesign of such meters whereby the construction is simpliiied and thecost of production reduced. I accomplish this by arranging the parts sothat the meter is of small size and light weight, by making many of theparts of sheet-metal punchings which are inexpensive and which may bebent so as to take the place of two or more parts formerly used, byeliminating binding posts and by providing a new and simple means foradjusting the retardation of the moving element.

T he features of my invention are of special utility in integratinginduction motor meters but some of them are also applicable to direct-.current meters and to electric measuring inastruments of all classes. i

The novel features of my invention will be definitely indicated in theclaims appended hereto.

The details of crmstruction of my improved meter will be betterunderstood by reference to the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectionalelevation Of the meter; Fig. 2 is an elevatioi'i of the lower bearing;Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the disk armature; Fig. 4 is aperspective view of a modified form of lower bearing; and Fig. 5 is afront view of the damping device.

In its general construction and in its method of operation the metershown herein is similar to that shown and described in my application,Serial Number 233,942, iiled November 23, 1904. I

Referring to the drawings, the meter is inclosed within a drawn metalcasing preferably of circular form and consisting of a back 1 havingfeet 2 for securing it to a support and a cover 3. The back and coverare hinged together at the top, as indicated at 4, and provided withears 5 at the bottom aer- Fm'ated to receive asealing wire 6. All oftheSpecification of Letters Patent.

' my pending ap Tatented. July as, 1908.

Application filed May 6, 1905. Serial No. 259,092.

operating mechanism of the meter is supported on a central diaphragm orsupporting member 7 and thls supporting-member is mounted within thecasing in a manner erlnitting it to be quickly and readily ta on out inorder that all of the parts may be perfectly accessible for inspectionand repair without even removing themeter from the wall or othersupport. For this purpose a plurality of supporting fingersS are:secured to the back 1 and extend forward'beyoni the edge of the coverand the ends of these fingers are provided with slots open at the frontas indicated in Fig. 1. The circular supporting member 7 is providedwith an inturned flange 9 having threaded openings therein in alinementwith the slots in} the fingers 8 and screws 10 extend through the slotsand into these threaded openings. Thus by merely loosening the screws 10the supporting member 7 can be drawn forward from between the supportingfingers 8 and as the leads to the coils of the meter are provided withdetachable couplings, as will hereinafter more fully appear, thispermits of the entire removal of the operating mechanism of the meterfrom thecasing.

As is usual in induction meters, the motor.

- mechanism consists of bundles of sheet-metal laminations having shuntand series coils wound thereon in which magnetic fluxes are developedwhich act on a pivotally mounted metallic disk to cause rotation thereofin a manner well understood by those skilled in the art. The specificmotor mechanism shown herein is similar to thatdescribed in' licationabove referred to. One bundle of amina-tions 11 is preferably U-sha edand has potential coils 12 on the legs t ereof connected in series.Another bundle of laniinations 13 is arranged directly below the bundle11 and has a series coil 14 wound thereon. In securing the laminatedstructures in position I eniploy bolts each of which is arranged to 1101the laminations tightly together and to hold the bundle to the back ofthe su )porting member so that even though the bolt becomes loose uponthe su 1 )orting member the laminations will be held tightly so thatrattling of the parts due to the alternatioi'is of the current in thecoils is avoided. These bolts 15 are held by nuts 15- to the member 7 atone end and the other end is reduced forming a shoulder in the middleof, the bolt and a stem which extends through openings in thelaminations. This shoulder and the stem are insulated as indi-' .catedat 16 and the end of the stem is turned over so as to press the laminm'together hetween it and theinsulated shoulder. The laminae are thusheld. tightly together and secured to the back of the supporting memberindependently by the same bolts. The ends of the series coil 14 are bentat right angles, as shown in Fig. 1, the insulation removed therefromand one end of a short metallic tube 17 split at the otherend issoldered thereto. The end of one of the potential coils 12 iselectrically connected to 15 the series coil 14 and the end of the othercoil is carried through openings in the flange 9 of the supportingmember 7 and brought (lowly adjacent to the'ends of the series coil 14,a."

.indicated at 18. The insulationis removed from the end of this lead 18and a connector 17 similar to those on the ends of the series coil 14 issoldered thereto. The three leads 19 to the meter enter through openingsin the backl insulated by bushings 20, are secured in position withinthe meter by binding strips 21 and have their ends barcd and bent up inposition to be engaged by the connectors 17 so as to make agoodfrictional contact therewith. Thus when the screws 10 are loosened andthe supporting member 7 and parts carried thereby drawn forward, thesedetachable couplings permit the leads to the coils 12 and 14 to bedetached from the wires 19 entering the meterso that all of theoperating arts of the meter may be readily withdrawn .rom the casing forpurposes of inspection or -repair. When these purposes have beenaccomplished the member 7 can be quickly slid 1n between the fingers 8and the couplings 17 pushed over the ends of the leads 19. The armature22 consists of a disk of alu minum or copper secured to a shaft 23pivotally mounted in front of the member 7. This disk is a sheet-metalpunching and in order to simplify the construction the disk is v cut soas to rovide integral arms 24 which are bent bae' upon the disk andupwards around shaft 23, as shown in'Figs. 1"and 3.

A clamping ringf25 is thentightened upuponthe arms 24 to 1d them tightlyagainst the shaft. The bearing for the upper eiid of shaft 23 consistsof an opening in a projection 26 integral with the supporting member 7and formed by punching du t the supporting member and bending theportion 26 at right angles thereto. The lower bearing for shaft 23preferably consists ofa single piece of sheet-metal carrying a jewel andbent so as to form a yielding support. As shown in Figs.

1 and 2, the lower bearing consists of along thin stri of sheet-metal 27bent to form a loop 28 etween its ends and having a jewel 29 cemented ina depression therein the upper end of the strip 27 :is preferably'bentat right angles as indicated at 30 and provided pole above and one belowthe of the damping effect.

inagnqt 41 toward the other and in t with an opening in the bent portionthrough which the end of shaft 23 extends so that lateral displacementof the end of the shaf t is prevented. The bearing 27 is adjustableVertically between the legs of a flat U-sbaped piece 31 secured to thesupporting n'ie'niber 7, screws 32 being arranged with their headsoverhanging the strip 27 so that when they are tightened up they holdthe bearing in any adjusted )osition. In Fig. 4 I have shown a modifiedform of lower bearing in which the jewel is rigidly supported. Thisbearing also consists of-a sheet-metal strip 33 and has an integralportion 34 punched out and bent at right. angles and a jewel cemented ina depression in this bent-out portion. The ends of strip 33 are bent atright angles, the upper one having an opening through which the end ofthe shaft extends and the lower one forming a finger-hold to facilitatethe vertical adjustment of the hearing. A key-hole slot is cut in thestrip 33 to permit this adjust ment and the ready removal of the bearingwhen the su porting screw which extends through the s ot is loosened.

Near the upper end. of shaft 23 is a worm 35 meshing with a worm-wheel30 which drives the wheel train forming the dial of the meter. Isimplify the construction ofthe dial by making the front-plate 37, theback- -plate 38 and the projecting portions 3t) by which the dial issecured to arms 40 fastened to the front of the sup orting member 7,from a single sheet-metal punclling which is bent as shown in-Fig. 1.The front and back plates 37 and 38 may be sprung apart far enough topermit of inserting the shafts of the wheel train in their bearings andthe cars 39 are provided with slots to receive the screws by which thedial is detachably sccured to its supports.

The means for retarding the rotation of the moving element consists of apermanent magnet 41 bent as shown in F i 5, with one Tisk The magnet issupported on arms 42 which are riveted to the front of the supportingmember 7. I have found that the permanent mag-.- nets commonly employedin electric measuring instruments possess a sufficient amount ofelasticity to permit of forcing the integral poles thereof toward oraway from each other and'thus varying the air-ga between thenfenough togive the required a justment I therefore provide the integral oles offiis way varying the magnetic flux which cuts the disk 22. Thispreferably consists of a bracket 43 secured to the supporting member 7and having a screw 44 in its outer end which may be means for forcingone of turned so as to bear against one pole of magnet 41 and force itupward closer to disk 22 and the other pole of the'magnet. When thedesired position is reached screw 44 may be secured in position by alock-nut 45. i In 7 magnet and hence the magnetic this way the air-gapbetween the ipoles of the ux cutting diskv 22, maybe adjusted asdesired.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnitediStates isf lfAn electric meter comprising a casing.

a supporting member detachably -mounted therein, electrie'motormechanism having its actuating coils secured to one side of the supporting member, a permanent magnet for retarding the rotation of themoving element of the motor, secured to the other side thereof,

leads entering the meter casing, and a coupling-forreleasably connectingsaid leads to the coil terminals adapted to produce automticallyan'engagement of said leads and coi terminals whensaid supportingmember *is moved into place 2. i ii an electric meter a casin a su ort-7 r PP i'ng member, operating mechanism inc uding a coil carriedthereby, screws for detachably securing the supporting member to theeasing said screws entering threaded openings in one of saidparts andslots open at one endin the other,-said slots forming a guide for theremoval and replacing of said supporting member, alead entering thecasing, and a coupling for releasably connecting said lead and aterminal of said coil adapted to produce automatically an engagement ofsaid.

lead and terminal when said supporting member is moved into place.

3. An electric meter comprising, a'rotating element and means forregistering the rotatlons of said element comprising a dial having frontand back plates and ears' for scouring it to a support and 'a dial trainmounted between the two plates and geared to said rov .ing fro'nt andback plates and ears for securing it to a support and a dial trainmounted between the two plates, said front and back plates and supportinears being formed int-egral from a single s eet-metal punching.

5. In an electric meter, a supporting memyber carrying the stationarymotor elements of he meter, a bearing for the rotating motor elementcomprising a punching having an 1nv te'gral portion bentat right anglesto' the main portion, means for adjustably clamping said main portiontosaid-supporting member,-and a jewel supported rigidly on said bentortion. 1 I

'6. an electric measuring instrument, a lower bearing for a verticalshaft consistin of a sheet-metal strip, and a jewel supporte' thereon,said strip being bent so as to yieldingly support the j ewel.

7 In an electric measuring instrument, a

support, -a vertical shaft", and a lower bearing for'the shaftconsisting of a'sheet-metal strip attached to said support, and a jewelmounted thereon, said strip being bent-to form a loo between the jeweland the point-of att'ac lent to the support whereby the jewelis'yieldingly supported. 1

8. In an electric measuring instrument, a

lower bearingfor a vertical shaft consisting of a sheet-metal strip, ajewel carried thereby, a support, and screws entering the su ofwhich-overhang the strip.

9. In an electric measuring instrument, a rotatable shaft, a sheet-metalplate of conducting material carried thereby having inport on oppositesides of the strip the hea s tegral arms formed from portions of theplate bent along the shaft, and a clamping ring about said arms pressingthem against the shaft.

' 10. In an electric measuring instrument, a

- moving element and means for damping the movements thereof comprisinga plate 0 conducting material, a'permanent magnet cooperating therewith,and means for varying the air-ga p between the I integral poles of saidmagnet. g

11. In an electric measuring instrument, a

moving element and means for damping the movements thereof comprising aplate of conducting material, a permanent magnet cooperating therewith,a frame having a threaded opening therein, and a screw axiallyadjustable in said opening the end of which bears against one of theintegral poles of said magnet. I 12. In an electric measuringinstrument,

movingelement and means for-damping the movements thereof comprising aplate of conducting material, a permanent maghetcopcrating therewith,and means for springingthe magnet poles to vary the ga In witnesswhereof, I have ereunto set my hand this fourth day of May, 1905. 4CHARLES E. HOLMES.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. MoMAnUs, Jr, HENRY O. WESTENDARP.

